The United States, Uganda, and the Central African Republic should ensure the prompt transfer of a rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander to the International Criminal Court (ICC). In 2005, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Dominic Ongwen for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Joseph Kony - LRA

The transfer of a Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander to the International Criminal Court (ICC) is an important opportunity to achieve a measure of justice for crimes committed by the rebel group, Human Rights Watch said. Dominic Ongwen arrived in the Netherlands on January 21, 2015, to face charges of four counts of war crimes and three counts of crimes against humanity committed in 2004 in northern Uganda.

The United States, Uganda, and the Central African Republic should ensure the prompt transfer of a rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander to the International Criminal Court (ICC). In 2005, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Dominic Ongwen for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

On January 6, 2015, US military advisers supporting the African Union Regional Task Force in the Central African Republic received the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander Dominic Ongwen into custody. The United States, Uganda – the primary contributor to the AU task force – and the Central African Republic should ensure the prompt transfer of Ongwen, believed to be about 34 years old, to the International Criminal Court (ICC). In 2005, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Ongwen for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Letter from Human Rights Watch to the Central African Republic Minister regarding the investigation into the massacre of 13 Central African citizens near the Ngunguinza gold mine in the Central African Wildlife Adventures (CAWA) hunting concession on or around March 20, 2012.

The Ugandan rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), carried out attacks from June 21 to 25, 2012, near a remote hunting concession outside Bakouma, in the Central African Republic (CAR). The attackers killed at least two civilians and abducted at least 14 others. The attacks followed killings of 13 civilians in the same area in March.

8 civil society organizations of the Central African Republic, write to USAID on the situation in the eastern Mbomou and Haut-Mbomou prefectures of the country affected by the LRA. In the letter they ask USAID to support projects to improve communications and road infrastructure in the LRA-affected region.
This is not a statement from Human Rights Watch, but we believe it is particularly powerful, especially taking into account the insecurity this region has faced due to the LRA’s significant and continuing abuses over the past few years.

The Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group has increased its attacks in the Central African Republic (CAR) since the beginning of 2012, putting civilians in affected areas in need of urgent protection. Attacks also continue in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

16 civil society, human rights, and religious groups in northern Congo and Central African Republic call for solidarity with the populations of central Africa affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army. In their call, they describe the situation and outline steps that should be taken as part of a multidimensional approach to ending the LRA problem.
This is not a statement from Human Rights Watch, but we believe it is particularly powerful, especially taking into account the LRA’s significant and continuing abuses over the past few years extending into northern Congo, eastern Central African Republic, and South Sudan.

The African Union last month announced a plan to improve coordination to end atrocities by Joseph Kony’s Ugandan rebel group, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Efforts to arrest Kony and other LRA leaders wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and to end LRA abuses are urgently needed. But that is only half of the picture; addressing the legacy of the LRA and Ugandan army abuses is the other. This history of abuse also has implications for US and other foreign support to Ugandan-led arrest operations for Kony.